My mother's cook book

When the potatoes have been pared, put them into cold water, and allow them to come to the boiling point, which being reached, they are at once to be taken out. Slice then enough of the potatoes to cover the bottom of a good sized vegetable dish, putting them in in layers, after which cut the mutton into small, convenient pieces, roll each piece into a mixture made of the flour, pepper, salt and nutmeg, and put them into the dish in layers alternating with the layers of potato, until the contents are level with the top. The remaining potatoes should be cut in half and arranged over the top leaving the round sides up. Melt the butter and brush it over the top of the potatoes to prevent their hardening in the oven, pour the catsup and water in at the side of the dish, and bake in a moderate oven for an hour and a half. Note — Potatoes should never be used without being put first into cold water and then brought to the boiling point. This draws out the greenness, which produces indigestion and is exceedingly injurious to some stomachs. Stewed B^ef. — Four pounds of stewing beef, two carrots, two turnips, one onion, one-half ounce of flour, one ounce of butter, three gills of second stock, one-halt tablespoonful of Worcestershire sauce, one-half tablespoonful of catsup, one teaspoonful of salt, one-half teaspoonful of pepper. [illustration: HARICOT OF MUTTON] The butter must first be melted in a saucepan, and when the smoke arises therefrom put into it the beef and brown well on both sides. While the beef is browning put into a bowl the flour and make it smooth with a tablespoonful of the stock ; add then the catsup, Worcestershire sauce with the pepper and salt, and the remainder of the stock, stir all until thoroughly blended and pour the mixture over the browning beef. Stir the liquor around the meat until it boils, skimming the grease from the top as it arises, and adding then one carrot and one turnip, sliced, , also the onion. Draw the saucepan now aside from the blaze of the fire, and allow it to simmer slowly for two hours; meantime, half an hour before the time for cooking expires, cut the remaining carrot and turnip into fancy shapes with a vegetable cutter, throw them into a small saucepan filled with boiling water and cook them until quite tender. When the meat is done, place it upon a large hot platter, strain over it the gravy, and taking the prepared carrot and turnip from the water, drain, and garnish with them the stew. Haricot of Mutton. — One half dozen mutton chops, one-half ounce of butter, twelve button-onions, one ounce of flour, two turnips, one carrot, one teaspoonful of salt, one-half teaspoonful of pepper, one pint of second stock. Trim the fat from the chops, and melting the butter in a saucepan slice into it one of the onions. When the blue smoke arises from the heated butter put into it the chops and brown them to a nice, pale brown. When this is done take out of the pan the chops and pour off the grease, after which put the flour into the pan, the giease still adhering to which will be sufficient ) to prevent its lumping, add to it the stock and stir all until it boils, when it should be skimmed to remove such particles of the onion and grease as may arise and the chops returned to the pan. AU should now be permitted to stew for half an hour gently when the button-onions must be added, also the carrot, cut in fancy shapes, and the turnips which must have been quartered, the pepper and salt, and the whole allowed to stew for half an hour longer, when it is ready to serve. Arrange the chops for serving, in a circle upon a hot platter, fill the vegetables into the centre, and pour the sauce around from the outer edge. Note — By button-onions is meant onions of the size of a button, — the smallest onions procurable.